Last week, the truck-rental company U-Haul announced it would stop hiring smokers in the 21 states where it is ­legal to take nicotine use into consideration when making hiring decisions.

In an e-mail to The Arizona Republic, U-Haul Chief of Staff Jessica Lopez cited the firm’s “continued efforts to ­enhance our wellness program and decrease health-care costs,” adding: “We have become more aware of the medical side ­effects of using nicotine and ­tobacco products.”